Snowfall
by Prime's Little One
Summary: In the middle of winter, Yugi remembers his relationship with the Spirit of the Puzzle, Yami,  and how knowing him affected his life. Then he reflects on his new relationship, and what it means to him. Rated T for Slash, and mention of some adult themes.


Snowfall by Prime's Little One

Genre: Angst/Tragedy/Romance  
>Pairings: YamixYugi, Yugix?<br>Summary: In the middle of winter, Yugi remembers his relationship with the Spirit of the Puzzle, Yami, and how knowing him affected his life. Then he reflects on his new relationship, and what it means to him.

Quick A/N: I'm just saying that Yugi finished the puzzle two months into his freshman year of high school, and Yami left during the Christmas break (or Japan's equivalent) of Yugi's junior year. So Yami was around for a little over two years. It is now the winter of his senior year in high school. Also, I'm saying that Yugi walks to and from school, and it's a mile away, so it takes around twenty minutes for him to walk (leisurely) to or from school. Also, when I italicize '_he, him, his'_ it means I'm talking about Yugi's partner. Not Yugi. I'm pretty sure you all know, or will know, who _he_ is before I reveal it in the story. ^.^

Walking down the sidewalk after school, Yugi watched as the tiny flakes of snow fell continuously. The last time it had snowed, he had been with- 'Don't think about it, Yugi.' But he couldn't ignore it. It had only been a year since… Since _he_ had left. Left with the entirety of Yugi's heart in the palm of his hand. Yugi shuddered, and not from the cold air finding its way through his heavy coat, scarf, and gloves to bite into his skin.

Despite his determination not to, Yugi's steps slowed as he remembered the past, how happy he was. How happy _they_ had been, together. Snapshots of memories flew by as he lost himself in his past. He remembered how they met- how scared he had been when he first saw the man in his room! The memories of their adventures together flew by, in an almost slideshow way. Flashes of their friends, their adventures, conversations they'd had, every word, emotion, thought, and action between them flared in his mind with all then intensity of a star exploding. There was no stopping the flood of memories.

When they'd first kissed… Yugi's heart thumped painfully in his chest in a bittersweet agony. They had been sitting on Yugi's bed, just talking about random things, like how school had been that day, what Yugi and his friends had gotten up to in the arcade, things like that. Even though _he_ could have witnessed these events first hand, or even viewed the memories of said events, _he_ respected Yugi's privacy enough to let Yugi have time with his friends without _him._ _He_ respected Yugi enough, cared about Yugi enough, to ask about these events day after day. Yugi could tell _him_ anything, without fear of being labeled. Without the fear that anything would be boiled down to typical teen angst, or being told that he was exaggerating things.

They had been talking about Yugi's time in the arcade with Jou, how excited he had been when he beat Yugi at a fighting game. Yugi had been laughing, waving his hands about as he told _him_ how Jou had jumped around like a little kid. _He_ had been smiling, laughing softly now and then, keeping _his_ eyes on Yugi. Yugi had just turned his head to look at _him_ again, when _he_ had leaned forward suddenly and gently placed _his_ lips against Yugi's own. Yugi had been completely surprised, but ecstatic, and returned the kiss, shyly, as he hadn't had any previous experience.

A lump formed in Yugi's throat thinking about how _his_ eyes had sparkled happily, how _his_ smile had been slow and soft, like a rose gently unfurling. Closing his eyes against the sting of tears that, no matter how often he shed them never seemed to end, Yugi paused in his walking. Opening his eyes, he glanced around to see how much farther he had to walk. Sighing, as he had at least another half mile to go, Yugi started walking again and immersed himself in thoughts of his past.

The time when they had danced together in the light of the stars and moon from Yugi's skylight… They had been so happy, so in love. Yugi's grandpa had been spending the night with his professor friend from America, and Yugi had turned on some soft music on his radio. They had been talking of Yugi's future, what he had decided to do before _he_ had appeared in Yugi's life. How they would make their future work. A soft, slow love song had come onto the radio, and suddenly _he_ had stood up, pulling Yugi up with _him_. _He _had pulled Yugi close, wrapped an arm about Yugi's waist, and started swaying gently to the music.

Smiling gently, Yugi had gone with it, and leaned closer, swaying in time to the music with _him._ They had danced to that song, and many more, all without saying a word. They danced for hours under the cool light of the moon and stars, content in holding each other close. After, when they were lying in bed, _he_ had pulled Yugi close and whispered that _he_ loved him. Yugi had smiled up at _him_ and repeated those same words back to _him._ Cradled gently in _his_ arms, Yugi had fallen asleep listening to _his_ heart beat.

The first time they made love… Yugi stifled a sob. The first time they made love, _he_ had been so gentle, so thoughtful and loving. _He_ had taken care of all the preparations before hand, using Yugi's body to gather and hide everything while Yugi himself slept. It had been wonderful, beautiful. One of the best moments of Yugi's life, except for the first time _he_ had told Yugi _he_ loved him. Yugi had never felt so loved in his life as when _he_ made love to him.

Yugi was only a block from his grandpa's game shop. Perhaps that was a blessing, as the next few memories were bittersweet. The battle against Rafael, with the Seal of Oricalcos, being trapped in the Shadow Realm without _his_ protection, without _his_ company. Being returned to the regular world, and reunited with _him_, figuring how to get _his_ memories back. Going back into the Egyptian Era, helping to fight Zorc, finding out _he_ was a Pharaoh. All of those memories led to the one Yugi was the most loath about reliving. The one Yugi hated the most.

The Final Duel. The Duel between Yugi and… _him. _The Duel that would decide where _he_ went. Whether _he_ stayed or left. Gramps, Anzu, Jou, Honda, Kaiba, Mokuba, Malik, Ishizu, Ryou… They were all present at his duel with _him_. They all knew how hard it was for Yugi to fight the one he loved. They all supported Yugi's decision, and they supported _his_ decision, too. All during the duel, Yugi had managed to keep his tears at bay. He had managed to not cry out his desperation for _him_ to stay, his agony at the decision they were forced to make.

After… After the duel, Yugi broke. He couldn't hold back the tears when he beat _him_. The despair he had felt became a bittersweet agony when _he_ comforted him, telling him that it would be alright. Yugi had wanted to smile for _him_, to give _him_ one last happy memory, so he did. He smiled, and he had made sure that if _he_ ever looked back, _he_ would have seen Yugi smiling. Yugi had smiled all the way until the doors had closed on the Afterlife, then he had dropped the smile. He had watched those doors, waiting, hoping that they would open and _he_ would step out, having changed _his_ mind. _He_ never did. So Yugi had turned and left, with his grandpa and friends, leaving the one he loved above all others behind. Leaving his _Yami_ behind.

Yugi had been depressed since then, nothing his grandpa or friends did or said could bring him out of it. The only thing that had brought Yugi out of his depression was meeting a new transfer student from Egypt. One Atemu Kurayami. Half Japanese, half Egyptian, he had just transferred into Domino High School at the beginning of this school year. He also happened to look exactly like Yami, except for having a tan.

When Yugi had first seen Kurayami, he had been devastated. To see someone whom looked so much like your dead love and have to interact with them every day was… torture. That first day Kurayami walked into Yugi's homeroom, Yugi, Jou, Honda and Anzu were stunned silent, and then the latter three turned as one to Yugi, only to find him standing and rushing out the back door of the room that led to a hallway near the back of the school. All three of them had rushed out after him, and tried to talk to Yugi, to comfort him. Yugi and his friends stayed in an empty class room for rest of the period, and then left the school along with everyone else. Jou, Honda, Anzu and Ryou walked Yugi home, staying for an hour and a half to help each other with homework and talk, and then they all left.

The next day, in the final period of the school day, Yugi tensed when he say Kurayami, and did his best to ignore him. He would get to class just on time, and leave as soon as possible, Jou, Honda, and Anzu all helped to get Yugi into and out of class without it being obvious he was avoiding Kurayami. Throughout the next week, it was noticed among all of Yugi's friends at school that Kurayami was actively trying to talk to Yugi, and Yugi wanted nothing of it. They were all on alert, trying to keep Yugi's pain as low as possible. However, one day the teacher paired Yugi with Kurayami for a class project, and every one of the group of friends had gone still.

Yugi had stiffened, before nodding, accepting who his partner was. During the month that the project was going on, Yugi worked almost everyday with Kurayami, and they had become somewhat friends, considering that every time Yugi looked at him, he saw _Yami._ Soon though, when Yugi looked at Kurayami, he didn't see only _Yami_, he saw _Atemu, _as well. Then, they got together. Atemu pursued Yugi diligently, always polite, always gentle, courteous, and understanding. He never asked for more than Yugi was willing to give him, and he made sure Yugi was comfortable with him at all times. Then came the time when Yugi found out Atemu's secret.

Yugi stopped and noticed he was in front of the game shop his grandfather owned. Smiling slightly, he opened the door and walked inside, closing the door and removing his scarf. "I'm home!" He called out. He hung up his scarf, hat, and coat, stuffed his gloves in his coat pockets, and set down his backpack on the table next to him. Yugi heard footsteps coming towards him, and looked up from untying his boots. "Aibou!" Atemu cried out. "Welcome home!" Yugi smiled at Atemu, his joy, love, and happiness radiating out for anyone to see. "Yes, I'm home. Aishiteru, mou hitori no boku." And standing up for a kiss from his other self, Yugi thanked Ra again for seeing that Yugi got the love of his life back.

A/N: So… That's Snowfall! What did you all think?  
>Yami: I'm happy I'm back with my Chibi Aibou.<br>Yugi: I'm glad Yami's back, but why did he have to leave in the first place?  
>AN: Because the stupid writers made him leave. But I brought him back!  
>Yugi: Yay!<br>Bakura: Oh, shut the h3L1 up, all of you! I'm trying to sleep here!  
>AN: You mean molest Ryou, right?  
>Bakura: *smirks* Yes.<br>Ryou: *blushes* Meep! Why me?  
>AN and Bakura: Because you're cute.  
>Ryou: *pouts*<br>A/N: Oh, Yugi-kun, Ryou-kun, could you do the disclaimer real quick please?  
>Yugi and Ryou: Sure! Prime's Little One does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or its characters. She just helps us get the right endings! ^.^<br>Yami: *glomps Yugi* ^.^ I'm happy now.  
>Yugi: *sweatdrops* Ok… me too! .<br>Bakura: *gags* God, you're sickening. Too mushy.  
>Ryou: *pouts at Bakura* So you'd never be like that with me?<br>Bakura: *tries to resist; fails* *glomps Ryou* Of course I would. If you want me to.  
>AN: ooookay! *resists urge to capture pictures* *fails* Nice seeing you all, and please R&R! I'd like to know what you think!


End file.
